G.I.s more important than Iraqi civilians.(The Orlando Sentinel)

Byline: Peter A. Brown

Surely, we can agree that the lives of U.S. soldiers take priority over those of Iraqi civilians. Yet, listening to some really stupid questions raising that issue, one has to wonder.

It is a sensitive subject, but the hand-wringing over civilian casualties requires that we acknowledge the obvious pecking order.

No one wants innocent people to die. U.S. forces have made a Herculean effort to limit civilian casualties, and precision weaponry has hugely reduced their number. U.S. target-pickers even check with lawyers to observe international law.

And there are more than humanitarian reasons for this effort. The war's unpopularity in many parts of the world means that minimizing civilian losses is good foreign policy.

Of course, it was a …